Easel



June 30, 1936. H WM HT 2,046,010

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Patented June 30, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EASEL Company Application August 14, 1934, Serial No. 739,763

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in sorting and classifying devices for use in classifying sales slips, letters, cards, circulars and the like, in alphabetical, numerical or other arrangements, and more particularly to an easel for supporting a classifying tray or container during filing or sorting.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an easel or support for a classifying container, which may be adjusted to accommodate containers of different lengths and/or sizes so that the container may be held in any convenient position or at any desired angle of inclination on a table, desk or bench without danger of tipping over when the slips, cards, letters, etc., are inserted in or withdrawn from the pockets of the container.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a demountable easel which may be easily dismem- 20 bered and stored away when not in use, and to provide an easel which is of simple design and of attractive appearance, which is inexpensive to manufacture and of light weight and strong construction having but few parts which may be easily and quickly adjusted to provide for greater stability, convenience of use, etc.

Further objects relate to the construction and will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation, with parts broken away and shown in section, of an easel constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the easel shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 1, but showing the easel in an adjusted position for supporting a container of greater length than that shown in Fig. 1.

The embodiment chosen for the purpose of illustration comprises a flat base member ID which may be of heavy sheet metal or other material providing a rigid support and its under surface may be provided with a layer of cushioning material I I, such as sheet rubber, to prevent the easel from scarring the top of a table or bench. A metal plate [2 is welded or otherwise secured to the front end of the base and is provided with a curled end portion 14 which defines a socket for the reception of a substantially cylindrical sleeve or casing l5. Studs or pins I6 are mounted at each end of the casing l5 with their outer ends normally projecting beyond the ends of the casing and a coiled spring I! is interposed between their inner ends as shown in Fig. 3. Each of the pins is provided with a slot l9 which receives a lug or tit l8 struck from the wall of the casing and operative to limit the outward movement of the pins It. The slots I8 are of sufficient length to permit the pins IE to be retracted against the action of the spring I! until their outer ends are flush with or within the casing 15.

A supporting member or brace is pivotally secured to the rear of the base I9 by means of a hinge 2| and the upper or free end of the brace is provided with a metal plate 24 having a curled end portion 25 which provides a socket for the reception of a substantially cylindrical casing 26. The casing 26 supports a pair of laterally projecting spring-pressed pins 27 and the construction and arrangement of these parts are substantially identical to those within the casing l5 shown in Fig. 3.

A holder 39 is supported by the base 10 and brace 20 and is designed to hold a classifying tray or container 3| or the like device used in sorting and classifying sales slips, cards, circulars, etc. The container 3| may be of the construction shown in Patent No. 1,931,785, granted to me October 24, 1933, to which reference may be had for a more complete description. The holder 30 preferably comprises an elongate sheet metal channel member 34 having spaced lateral flanges 35 and 36 which cooperate with an upwardly bent shield or tongue 31 secured to the lower end of the channel 34 to hold the container 3| in fixed position in the holder, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. A pair of sheet metal angle irons or flanges are welded or otherwise secured to the under side of the channel member 34 and have depending wings 40 and 4| provided with a series of abutments, here shown as defined by aligned circular openings 42 which receive the projecting ends l6 and 21. Preferably the openings 42 extend from one end of the holder to the other as shown in Fig. 2 so as to provide a greater range of adjustment.

As shown in Fig. 3 the openings 42 and pins l6 and 2'! provide releasable pivotal connections between the holder and both the base In and the free end of the brace 20, the springpressed pins l6 and 21 constituting releasable latch members which are operative to lock the holder in any desired position relative to the base. For example, the pins l6 and 21 may be received in openings adjacent to the respective ends of the holder, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thus supporting the holder at an angle of inclination of approximately 45 relative to the top of the desk or table 50. By releasing the pins 2! the brace may be swung forwardly or rearwardly about its pivot 2|, thus raising or lowering the end ef the holder to attain the desired'angle of inclination, and after having attained the desired position of the holder the pins 21 may be inserted in the adjacent openings to lock' the holder in the adjusted position.

j By releasing both the pins 5- 21. from their respective openings the holder may be bodily'shifted so that its lower end is substantially.

flush with the top of the table, or, if desired,"

the holder may be positioned so that its lowerj end extends an appreciable distance below the top of the table, as shown in 4', and in either. case the angle of inclination.offtherholder, may. be adjusted by varying the angular position of the brace.

tion of the holder, may be varied so asto maintain the stabilityof the device when in use. This feature is particularly advantageous as the easelmay be safely used to support classifying containers of different sizesduring filing and/or sorting without danger of the easel tipping over when the slips are inserted in or removed from the pocket of the container. With small-size containers, th easel may beset up as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with its holder at any desired angle or" inclination, and with large-size containers (those half again or more as longas the holder) the holder may be positioned as shown in Fig. 4 so as to lower-the center of gravity of the easel, thus maintaining a greater stability than otherwise possible, and when thus positioned, the angle of inclination of the'holder may be adjusted to suit the convenience of the user.

While I have shown and described onedesirable embodiment of the invention. is to be understood that the present disclosure is for thepurpose of illustration only and that various changes in shape, proportion and arrangement of parts as well as the substitution of equivalent elements for those herein shown and described, may be made without; departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended' claims.

' I claimi 1. An easel for supporting a classifying container or the like device in an inclined position, comprising base member, a brace pivotally secured to said base, releasable fastening 'means carried by said base' and thefree' end of said brace,1an'inclined'holder ad-apted'to receive the container supported on said base and brace, and

In this manner the center of gravity of the easel, as well as the angle of inclinameans arranged in series between the ends of said holder for engaging the fastening means on said base and brace, said means providing a releasable pivotal connection with said base and with the free end of said brace, whereby the angle of inclination and the height of the holder and the center of gravity of the easel may be varied so as to maint'ain the stability of the easel.

2. An easel for supporting a classifying container or the-like device in an inclined posi-. tion, comprising a base member, a spring-pressed latchsecured to said base, a brace mounted on said base, a spring-pressed latch secured to the free end of said brace, aholder for a classifythe free end of said brace, and a holder for aclassifying container supported on said base and a brace, said holder having'a pair of spaced flanges along its'edge, one of said flanges having a se"- ries of openings for the reception of the-ends of said spring-pressed pins, thereby providing releasable pivotal connections between said holder, base and brace, whichpermits the angle of inclination of' said holder relative to said base and the center of gravity of the easel tobe varied as desired. 7

4; An' easel for supporting a classisfying'container or thelike-device'in an inclined position,

comprising a base member, a' brace pivotally connected at one end to said: base member, an inclined holder adapted to receive said contain-- er; saidholder having' a series of fastening elements'between its ends, and complementary fastening'elernents on the freeend of said brace' h and on the end of said base remote from its pivotal connection with said brace, said fastening elements; providing releasable pivotalconnec tions between said: holder, brace and base where'- by the angle of inclination and the height of the holder and' the center of gravity of the easel maybe adjusted soas tomaintain the stability' of the easelforany desiredangle of inclination.

HAROLD A. WRIGHT. 

